The Effect of Motivation on Web Search Behaviors of Health Consumers

Abstract

I aim to investigate how autonomous motivation versus controlled motivation affects Web search behaviors of health consumers, as well as their search effort and enjoyment. I will conduct a within-subject study to investigate the research questions. The design of the search tasks will be the key to whether participants are autonomously motivated to search or not. The design of the search tasks will be based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a theory of motivation. The results of the experiment will enrich our understanding of how users within different motivational situations search online information.